Rotary engine.



PATENTED MAR. 27, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witnes es Attorneys PATENTED MAR. 2'7,

D. F. BAKER.

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION nun JULY 31,1906.

Attorneys line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

DAVID F. BAKER, OF DUNDEE, OREGON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 27, 1906.

Application filed July 31, 1905. Serial No. 272,007.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID F. BAKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dundee, in the county of Yamhill and State of Oregon, haveinvented a new and useful Rotary Engine, of which the following is aspeciflcation.

This invention relates to rotary engines, and has for its principalobject to provide a novel form of engine in which the full pressure ofthe steam may be utilized to the fullest extent and the parts soarranged and constructed as to permit the rapid operation of the enginewithout undue friction.

A further object of the invention is to provide an engine that may bereadily reversed and which is equally effective in both directions, and,further, to provide a simple form of reversing and cut-off mechanism forcontrolling the flow of steam or other fluid under pressure to theengine and the quantity of such fluid admitted to the cylinder.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafterappear, the invention consists in certain novel features of constructionand arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims, it being understood that various changes in the form,proportions, size, and minor details of the structuremay be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rotaryengine constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is asectional elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of theengine on the through the abutment-receiving recess on the line 4 4 ofFig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The cylinder of the engine is preferably formed of two main sections 10and 11, one of which has an approximately annular flange, forming thecircular wall of the cylinder proper, and both members are provided withbolting-flanges by which they may be rigidly secured together.

The opposite heads of the cylinder are pro Fig. 4 is a detail sectionvided with openings for the passage of a main shaft 15, on which issecured a central pistondrum 16. This piston-drum comprises twomembers17 and 18, the member 17 being formed integral with the hub and havingat its outer edge an annular flange 19, that constitutes the peripheralportion of the drum. The annular flange 19 is provided with a pluralityof radially-disposed passages 20 for the reception of radially-movablepiston-wings 21, which are moved outward by springs 22 into the annularsteam-space between the periphery of the piston and the inner circularwall of the cylinder. Between adjacent piston-wings the periphery of thedrum is provided with packing-segments 23, preferably formed of metaland connected by screws or bolts to the periphery of the drum proper, sothat they may be readily renewed when worn. The opposite section 18 ofthe pistondrum is provided with an annular flange 25, arranged at aslight distance from the hub of the piston, and from this flange extendradial arms 26, terminating at the inner wall of the flange 19. Thesearms are provided with radially-arranged recesses 28, into which theinner ends of the piston-wings project, and Within the recesses are thesprings 22, one end of each spring bearing against the inner end of apiston-wing and the opposite end bearing against a screw 29, arranged ina threaded opening in the annular flange 25, the screws being adjustablein order to alter the force with which the piston-wings are movedoutward into enga ement with the inner circular wall of the cylinder.The two members of the piston are connected to each other by suitablebolts 32, so that independent movement-of either member is prevented.

The opposite cylinder-heads are provided with bearings for the receptionof one or more transversely extending spindles 34, two of which areshown in the present instance, and on each spindle is mounted anadjustable abutment 35, the abutment being arcuate in form and itsopposite edges being of a thickness equal at least to the width of thesteamspace between the periphery of the drum and the adjacent Wall ofthe cylinder. By rocking the spindle 34 either end of the abutment maybe adjusted to operative position within the steam-s ace while theconcaved inner a i p z face of theifabutment is arranged to form acontinuation oflthei'inner walljofjthe cylinder and serves as a cam forforcing the pistonwings inward from the steam-space until said wingshave passed beyond the active face of the abutment, this face thenconstituting the end wall of the steam or expansion chamber and thesuccessive pistons forming the opposite wall thereof Each spindle 34preferably extends through the side wall of the cylinder, preferablythrough a suitable stufling-box 36, and to its outer end is secured anarm 37, the inner end of said arm having a pin-and-slot connection witha disk 38 that is mounted loosely on the main shaft. From this diskextends an arm 39, constituting a reversing-lever, the arm beingarranged to travel over a suitable lockingsegment 40 and being held'inany position to which it may be adjusted by the friction of a spring 41,carried by the arm in bearing against the strip, although the usuallatch and notched locking-segment may be substituted for this mechanism,and by moving the arm 39 the positions of the two abutments may bereversed.

In order to permit movement of the pistondrum in either direction, thecentral portion of the abutment is provided with a transverselyextending rib 42, approximately semicircular in cross section andfitting a corresponding recess in the curved wall of the cylinder, andthe wall of said cylinder is further provided with recesses 43, intoeither of which the idle end of the abutment may be moved.

At one side of the cylinder are arranged one or more steam-chests 45,-each of which may communicate through ports 46 with steam-chambers 4748, formed in the wall of the cylinder and disposed adjacent to theopposite end of the abutment. From the chamber 47 leads a port 49, andfrom the chamber 48 leads a port 50, these ports opening into thecylinder on opposite sides, respectively, of the abutment. The two ports46 are un der the control of an arcuate slide-valve 52, that is disposedwithin the steam-chest, and both valves are connected by levers 53 to adisk 54, that is loosely mounted on the main shaft. Each of the levers53 is pivoted at a pointintermediate its ends on a pin 55, projectingfrom one of the cylinder-heads, so

that when the disk is rocked in one direction or the other theslide-valves will be simultaneously moved in opposite directions, thuscontrolling the flow of the fluid to one or other of the chambers 47 48in accordance with the direction in which the piston is to revolve.

. The disk 54 is provided with a projecting arm 57, constituting anoperating-lever and movable over a locking-segment 58, the arm having asuitable spring 59, which frictionally engages with the segment andlocks the two reversing and cut-ofl valves in any desired position, sothat while the valves may be moved for the purpose of reversing theengine they 1 may also be adjusted to control the quantity of steam orother fluid utilized for motive power.

At a point some distance beyond the steamports, generally about ninetydegrees, are arranged exhaust-ports 60, through which the operatingfluid may escape after its work is accomplished, leaving thepiston-wings free from pressure during their inward movement under theinfluence of the cam-shaped abutments.

In the operation of this engine steam is admitted through the ports 50when the parts are adjusted in the manner shown in Fig. 2, while allflow of steam to the chamber 47 is cut off. The steam or other fluidissues through port 50 and acts on the successive piston-wings 21, eachpiston-wing being acted upon by direct pressure until the succeedingwing moves beyond the operating-face of the abutment, and after this thedead steam between two adjacent Wings may exhaust through the port 60.

It will be observed that during the rotation of the engine thepiston-wings are free to move inward each time they approach theabutment, and as the wings at this time are not under pressure they willmove inward freely without resistance and without material wear.

To reverse the engine, it is merely necessary to change the positions ofthe two arms 39 I and 57.

An engine of the character described may be employed for power purposesgenerally, and its size may be increased or diminished in accordancewith the work to be performed, while the exterior of the casing may beprovided with any suitable connecting means to permit the propermounting of the engine.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. Thecombination in a rotary engine, of a sectional piston-drum having innerand outer concentric flanges, the outer flange being provided wi thradially-disposed openings, pistonwings guided in said openings, springstending to thrust the wings outward, and screws extending throughthreaded openings in the inner flange and bearing against the inner endsof said springs.

2. In a rotary engine, a piston formed of a pair of members providedwith spaced concentrc flanges,.the outer flange being carried by onesection, and the inner flange by the other section, radially-disposedarms carried by one of the sections and provided with spring-receivingrecesses, piston-wings extench ng through openings in the outer flangeand into said recesses, springs bearing against the inner edges of thep;stonwing, and screws carried by the inner flange and formingadjustable supports for said springs.

3. The combination in a rotary engine, of a concentric piston-drumhaving radially-movable Wings, an abutment pivotally mounted in a recessin the Wall of the cylinder, steamchambers formed in the Wall of thecylinder on opposite sides of the abutment, ports leading from thechambers to the steam-space of the cylinder, and means for controllingthe passage of steam to one or other of the chambers.

4. The combination in a rotary engine, of a cylinder having anabutment-receiving recess and rovided With spaced steam-chambers, an autment piyotally mounted in said recess, means for controlling theadmission of steam to one or other of the steam-chambers, means foradjusting the abutment to present either of its ends into thesteam-space end of the cylinder, and a piston arranged Within saidcylinder.

5. The combination in a rotary engine, of a cylinder having an abutment,a pair of steamchambers arranged on opposite sides of the abutment, aslide-valve for controlling the admission of steam to said chambers, aslidevalve-operating means, means for adjusting the position of theabutment, and a revoluble piston-drum arranged Within the cylinder.

6. The combination in a rotary engine, of a cylinder, a main shaft, apiston mounted thereon and provided with radially-movable piston-Wings,a pair of pivotally-mounted abutments arranged Within the cylinder, adisk mounted on the shaft and operatively connected to both abutments topermit simultaneous adjustment of the same, a pair of steam-chambersarranged on each side of the abutments, controlling-valves for saidsteamchambers, a valve-operating disk mounted on the shaft, and meansfor connecting said disk to the valves.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

DAVID F. BAKER.

Witnesses:

I. M. WooDs, A. P. OLIVER

